Evening Report — Rumble time: Biden, Trump agree to debates

by Elizabeth Crisp - 05/15/24 5:32 PM ET

Evening Report

It’s going down: President Biden, President Trump will debate next month

President Biden and former President Trump have agreed to at least two debates ahead of the November presidential election, with their first face-to-face coming next month.

The news comes amid a bit of back-and-forth between the rivals in their second election round. They’ve agreed to a CNN-hosted debate in June and one hosted by ABC News in September.

The Hill has all the details about the showdown here.

CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash are set to moderate the debate next month.

ABC announced it’ll make September’s debate available for simulcast on other networks.

Trump has in recent weeks needled Biden for an attempt to debate. Biden shot back on Wednesday with his own debate challenge. They continued the sparring on Wednesday upon the announcements.

“‘I’ll bring my plane … I plan on keeping it for another four years,” Biden joked about his Air Force One privileges.

Related coverage:

Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Liz Crisp, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here.

CATCH UP QUICK

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Former President Trump will speak at the annual NRA convention this weekend in Dallas.
NFL star Aaron Rodgers praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as an “interesting, smart individual” in a new interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

NEW THIS AFTERNOON

Maryland Senate race is set: Alsobrooks vs. Hogan

Maryland Senate hopeful Angela Alsobrooks won the Democratic primary Tuesday for a rare open seat in the reliably blue state. She now moves on to the general election in November to face popular, two-term Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who has built a national profile as a “Never Trump” voice that appeals across party lines.

The election could be pivotal in deciding which party gets control of the Senate in the coming term.

Hogan already is trying to appeal to Democrats to get their votes this fall. His campaign launched a “Democrats for Hogan” initiative just hours after the election was called.

“To my Democratic and independent friends,” Hogan said in a post on X. “you know me and you know my proven track record of reaching across the aisle to find common ground for the common good. You know that I have the courage to put people over politics and to put country over party. I will continue to be the same strong independent leader for Maryland that I always have been.”

The Hill’s Cheyanne M. Daniels had an in-depth discussion with Alsobrooks on The Hill’s The Switch Up podcast. Listen here.

Related coverage:

Haley draws support from Trump in Maryland, Nebraska, West Virginia primaries

IN OTHER NEWS

After combative Cohen testimony, Trump trial set to resume Thursday

Former President Trump will be back in a New York federal courtroom on Thursday, as his criminal “hush money” trial resumes, with Trump’s defense team expected to continue their grilling of “fixer” Michael Cohen.

Catch-up on 5 revelations from Michael Cohen’s Trump trial testimony from The Hill’s Ella Lee and Zach Schonfeld

Earlier this week, Cohen outlined how he facilitated the payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels to keep her alleged sexual dalliance with Trump a secret during his presidential campaign in 2016. Their encounter allegedly happened during a celebrity golf tournament near Lake Tahoe in 2006.

Keep up with The Hill for live updates from Thursday’s court action.

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Drug overdose deaths top 100K, but dropped for first time in five years

U.S. drug overdose deaths dropped slightly in 2023 — marking the first decrease in OD deaths since 2018, according to early data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

More than 107,000 people died from drug overdoses last year, a 3 percent drop from the approximately 111,000 deaths estimated in 2022.

Deaths surpassed 100,000 for the first time in 2021, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

CDC Chief Medical Officer Deb Houry said in a statement that the findings are “heartening,” and a “testament to the hard work by all of our partners in this effort and the work being done on the ground.”

“Progress over the last 12 months should make us want to reinvigorate our efforts knowing that our strategies are making a difference,” she said. (The Hill)

OP-EDS IN THE HILL

“Biden’s biggest problem going into the election is messaging” writes Max Burns, veteran Democratic strategist and founder of Third Degree Strategies.

“Trump’s defense team has only one strategy left,” writes Kimberly Wehle, author of “How to Read the Constitution — and Why.”